"Will you treat me very well?" Lin Wuyue asked.
"Very, very well," the fat man replied. The other men only stared, ready to pounce on the child in front of them.
"Don't be shy, child. We will really take you back to your parents, but you'll have to do something for us, of course," said the man with the bamboo strips. "Just a small favor… but—"
Before he could continue, Lin Wuyue's sword, dyed an intense crimson red, flashed.
In an instant, the fat man and the other bandits were left in shock as five heads rolled across the ground.
Wh-when did he pass by me? I didn't see anything at all… the fat man thought in panic. He slowly turned his head, a terrible feeling crawling up his spine.
Five of his men were already dead, their heads scattered on the ground.
"You… how dare you?!"
He could not bear watching his subordinates fall without even knowing how they were killed. He had to admit it—this damn brat was strong. I must act quickly—
Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced him.
Lin Wuyue's sword had severed one of his arms in less than a second.
"AAAAAHHH!"
The scream came late; only then did the blood gush out violently.
Damn it… who the hell is this child? He's so small… how can he wield a sword like this? He doesn't even reach my waist!
Even while bleeding heavily, he forced himself to stay calm, sealed his acupoints, and stared at the child before him.
"You… who are you? If we offended you in any way, please forgive us."
"Hm? You surrender so easily?"
In truth, the fat man wanted to fight and skin Lin Wuyue alive, but seeing his trembling subordinates and his own severed arm, the outcome was obvious.
"I beg you. Take my life in exchange. Let my men go in peace."
"Boss!"
The subordinates nearly collapsed when they heard this.
"No… if you kill him, then kill us all!"
"Yes!"
"Take me too!"
"And me!"
One after another, they shouted, prepared to face death together.
"What a touching scene… truly touching," Lin Wuyue said coldly.
"But before I kill you all, why don't you tell me where your hideout is? Don't worry. If you don't tell me, I'll kill you anyway."
Silence fell instantly.
"Tch. You're going to stay quiet? If you tell me, I'll give you a quick death. If not… I'll torture you a little. How about that?"
They still said nothing.
Lin Wuyue clicked his tongue impatiently. "Who would have thought I'd end up robbing and torturing bandits…"
With that, he began cutting off their limbs one by one.
"AAAAAH!"
"Help! Help!"
"He's insane! He's completely insane!"
Their screams echoed through the forest.
"Alright, alright! I'll tell you! Stop! It hurts like hell!"
A tall man with a scar on his face finally broke.
"It's south of that mountain over there. There's a small cave. It's really there!"
He pointed with a trembling finger. He had already lost both legs; even if he survived, he would be crippled for life.
"Oh? A wise choice," Lin Wuyue said.
He killed him on the spot, and then the rest.
Just as he was about to head toward the bandits' cave, he heard frantic shouting.
"Blind kid, damn it! Are you dead?! Where did you go, you damn brat?! If you're not dead, I'll kill you myself!"
It was Bai Xichen.
"What, am I deaf? You're going to attract a wild beast at this rate," Lin Wuyue muttered, walking toward the voice.
It was already night, only moonlight illuminating the forest. He was about to remove his blindfold.
"Damn it, you smell like blood. Did you kill that entire group of bandits by yourself?" Bai Xichen said, scolding him while checking his body for wounds, shaking him back and forth.
Lin Wuyue finally had enough and pushed him away. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What do you mean what am I doing, you damn brat?! Do you know how worried I was?!"
Lin Wuyue snorted. "It's not like I need your concern. Tell me, did you take all the injured to a safe place?"
"Of course! What kind of person do you think I am?" Bai Xichen said, then suddenly realized something was wrong and began to tremble.
"Y-you really killed that group of bandits? Damn… you're younger than me, but you're terrifying."
Lin Wuyue made an exaggerated grin, revealing the edge of his sword. "Want to be the next one?"
"N-no! Are you tired? Should I bring you water? You deserve it," Bai Xichen said politely, completely changing his tone.
He wasn't stupid. Someone who could slaughter a bandit group alone could kill him like crushing a fish.
"Someone's coming," Lin Wuyue said.
"What? Another group of bandits?! Damn it!"
"No. It's different. A large group, with people and carriages…"
His voice suddenly trembled with excitement.
"It's my master! I'm sure of it. I knew he wouldn't abandon us!"